Multiplexes snub UF, eye southern movies

MUMBAI: Here's a kahani mein twist. While multiplexes refuse to give in to the United Forum's demands on revenue sharing, they have now signed a deal with Telugu film producers.
After a meeting on Wednesday, Telugu film producer-distributors will get 50:45:40 in the first three weeks of a movie release. And if the film does good business in the first week, multiplexes have offered the Telugu lobby a 55% share in the first week."We have a good relationship with multiplexes, that's why we're getting a better deal,'' Sunil Narang, spokesperson for the Telugu producer-distributor body told TOI.
Bollywood, of course, is still being offered a 50:40:30 deal. "This clearly indicates the double standards of multiplexes,'' says Sunil Wadhwa, VP (distribution) at UTV. "Bollywood was told that multiplexes would have to shut shop if they gave higher percentage to Hindi films and that they had thin margins. Now they are giving the Telugu lobby 5% more than what Bollywood was asking for.''
Rumour also has it that as of Wednesday multiplexes have agreed to give Bollywood producers 52.5% share in the first week. Deepak Ashar, spokesperson of the multiplex association of India, was not reachable.
bharati.dubey@timesgroup.com